When looking for beauty advice , you could look to a dermatologist or the pages of a glossy magazine.
But what about something more close to home? It turns out that a lot of our grandparents are the keepers of beauty secrets. Some have been passed down to them from generations and some, well, are straight-up weird. After all, it’s true what they say: the older you get, the wiser you become, and the same holds true in beauty.
Here are 19 beauty tips people got from their grandparents.
How to have good posture
Good posture is good for your spine and for making you look confident. One woman learned this from her Chinese grandma who had this mantra: “Head up, chest out, stomach in!”
Now, the woman has the best posture of anyone she knows.
How to accessorize
“Every time I got ready for church or another nice event she would ask, ‘Now what necklace are you going to wear with that?’ Jewelry was always a given and I have a few pieces of hers that I will treasure forever. Thanks, Dorothie.” – u/deleted
How to keep panties smelling fresh
Although an odd conversation between a grandma and a teen, one woman shared that her grandmother taught her how to “stay fresh” down there.
This is by keeping dried lavender in her panties drawer. Worth a shot, no?
The importance of looking after your hands
“Always have your nails done and take care of your hands. People forget about hands, and they can look old rather quickly.” -u/ violetauto . Sadly, this is true, so make sure to moisturize daily!
Always rinse your hair with cold water
Sure, it’s not pleasant. But the results make it worth it, as one Redditor finds that it adds shine to her hair.
Cold water also seals up the hair’s cuticle after the warm water opened it up.
Rinsing the hair with vinegar
“My grandma would always rinse my hair with vinegar at the end of my bath. I remember it making my hair so smooth and silky. I assumed for years and years that it was just her strange habit but when I attempted ‘No Poo’ method, (not using traditional shampoo/conditioner techniques,) apple cider vinegar replaced conditioner. Grandma knew.” – u/ butterflybush
Always be gentle with your skin
“As someone with acne and compulsive skin picking habits, being gentle and kind to my skin was a lesson I really needed to learn. I think about gentle upward motions every night during my skincare routine – adoring and missing her always.” – u/ honeypot01
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Don’t overpluck your eyebrows
It’s not the ’90s anymore, which means that the Pamela Anderson eyebrow look won’t work.
Some people even find that their eyebrows never grow back. So do like this one woman who was taught and stay away from tweezers.
Use Jergen’s lotion on your face
“My grandma is 84 years old and could pass for being in her 60s because her skin is so smooth and she has such few wrinkles. She says it’s because she’s put Jergen’s original scent lotion on her face twice a day since she was a teenager.” – u/ sarahpessicajarker
The lipstick blush
One woman’s grandma was ahead of her time. Before cream blushes came out, she would put lipstick on and then dab it with her fingers and pat it on her cheeks. This is a great way to add blush.
Use Ponds Cold Cream on your face
“We had a ritual of using Ponds cold cream & Sea Breeze astringent to remove makeup/clean our faces before going to bed. The smell of both definitely triggers memories of my time spent with her.” – u/ Sumatradc
Start using eye cream from a young age
The compound effect i.e. compound interest doesn’t just apply to money. Think about it this way: starting eye cream when you’re young is a lot better than starting it in the 50s.
Change up your face cloths
“When I had acne as a teen, she told me to get a dozen or so white cotton washcloths for daily face-washing, and toss in the laundry after each use. I still use this method sometimes if I’m randomly breaking out (yay adult acne).” – u/ Hinoueuma
Do neck stretches to keep your neck tight
Unless you want to end up with a turkey neck, you’ll want to firm it up now. This woman’s grandma did this daily and the results paid off. Her neck was always way less saggy than other women her age.
Dress for your body type
“My gran has a similar body shape to me, so she taught me how to dress. Shopping with my mum is useless because she’s straight up and down, but my gran (a fellow hourglass) taught me a lot about which skirts, tops, dresses and trousers to buy which would flatter my figure.” – u/ shantasia94
Be kind to your eyes
They are the window to the soul, after all! They also show some of the first signs of aging.
So this woman’s grandma taught her to not tug or pull on the skin around her eyes when washing them, doing makeup, or anything else.
Keep the water from rice
“The water that you throw out from washing the rice, save it up and wash your face with it, it’s supposed to keep pigmentation at bay and soften skin. I don’t know why, but it works.” – u/deleted
Wear cotton underwear
Since this woman’s grandma was a nurse, she felt very strongly about this. Hundred percent cotton underwear is so much more breathable than polyester fabric. This will help prevent things like bad odors and infections. Check your labels!
Always wear sunscreen and moisturizer
“She told me I needed to wear sunscreen on my face daily, even if I wasn’t going to be in the sun all day to prevent wrinkles. She also told me to put a ton of moisturizer on before bed every night. She doesn’t have many wrinkles at all so she’s onto something there.” – u/ sigh_sarah
